Silver-Haired Sprinter Breaks the Mold: Thomas Barr Shines at the Olympics

The 32-year-old Irish sprinter Thomas Barr turned gray in his teens but rarely worries about it now. However, his hair color hasn’t gone unnoticed.

SAINT-DENIS, France — Typically, gray-haired athletes excel in sports like sailing, shooting, and equestrian events. Track and field athletes with gray hair are a rarity.

Thomas Barr of Ireland defies this norm.

After prematurely turning gray in his late teens, Barr gives little attention to his hair color at 32.

Barr was part of Ireland’s victorious 4×400-meter mixed relay team at the European Championships in June—the team’s first gold in over 25 years. Other competitors remarked on his hair color when congratulating him.

“They were calling me the golden oldie,” Barr said in a post-race interview in Rome. “I started going gray at 18 or 19. People ask why I haven’t dyed it, but I’m probably just too lazy.”

Benefiting from the speed of 21-year-old Rhasidat Adeleke, Barr and his team showcased their Paris Olympics potential by finishing third behind the U.S. and Netherlands at the world relays in May. The mixed relay heats in Paris kick off on Friday, with finals scheduled for Saturday.

“It’s amusing racing against guys 10 to 12 years younger,” he remarked. “I’m happy to still be competitive and stay consistent over the years.”

In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Barr narrowly missed a medal in the 400 hurdles by five hundredths of a second. While he may not be a strong medal contender individually anymore, he remains an inspiration for gray-haired runners worldwide.

“Sometimes I reflect on my younger years, thinking, ‘That was awesome.’ But I’m still performing at a high level now,” said Barr, originally from Waterford, known for Waterford Crystal glassworks. “Sticking with it through resilience, I suppose, is inspirational.”

Numerous older Olympians have had gray hair. However, Barr doesn’t idolize any other gray-haired athletes.

“I’m sure there are plenty,” he noted. “There could be gray athletes hiding their hair color with dye.”

So what keeps Barr in top condition?

“Doing the same routine daily,” he explained. “People ask what motivates me. This time of year, it’s easy because of the competitions. The tough part is maintaining discipline. That distinction keeps me going through winter.”

Barr’s training group at Ferrybank A.C. is another key motivator.

“We have a huge, fantastic group back home,” he said. “It makes the tough days easier. My advice to stay motivated and disciplined: find like-minded individuals and make it fun.”

Whether you’re gray-haired or not.